Can Go Programmers Override Default Import Paths for Their Packages?

Overriding Import Paths in Go

As a newcomer to Go, it's understandable to encounter questions regarding package importing conventions. This article aims to clarify how external Go programmers can specify custom import paths for their packages.

Question: Can a programmer enforce a specific import path for their own packages, even if the standard library or another package suggests otherwise?

Answer: Yes, Go provides built-in support for this feature.

The syntax for controlling the package import path is as follows:

package name // import "your-custom-path"

For example, GitHub's crypto/bcrypt package employs this technique to specify an import path of golang.org/x/crypto/bcrypt rather than the expected github.com/golang/crypto/bcrypt.

The rationale for this feature is to prevent import collisions, especially when multiple packages share a common name but needs to reside under different import paths. It ensures that the correct package is imported based on the custom import path.

If you are importing a package and encounter an error message similar to code expects import "custom-import-path", it indicates that the package is configured to be imported with a specific import path. To resolve this issue, use the custom import path specified within the error message.

Additional Resources:

• Design Document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jVFkZTcYbNLaTxXD9OcGfn7vYv5hWtPx9--lTx1gPMs/edit
• Go Command Reference: https://golang.org/cmd/go/#hdr-Import_path_checking
• Go 1.4 Release Notes: https://golang.org/doc/go1.4#canonicalimports

The above is the detailed content of Can Go Programmers Override Default Import Paths for Their Packages?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!